August 2025 NAHB News....1-4 NCHBA News....5-7 HBAGC News....8-28
June New Home Sales Hold Steady, Remain Tepid
Challenging affordability conditions, elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty continue to act as headwinds on the housing sector as many potential buyers continue to stay on the sidelines. Sales of newly built single-family homes edged 0.6% higher in June, rising to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 627,000, according to newly released data from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau. The past two months have seen the slowest sales pace since October of last year, as mortgage rates averaged above 6.8% in June. A new home sale occurs when a sales contract is signed, or a deposit is accepted. The home can be in any stage of construction: not yet started, under construction or completed. In addition to adjusting for seasonal effects, the June reading of 627,000 units is the number of homes that would sell if this pace continued for the next 12 months. New single-family home inventory continued to rise with 511,000 residences marketed for sale as of June. This is 1.2% higher than the previous month, and 8.5% higher than a year ago. At the current sales pace, the months’ supply for new homes remained elevated at 9.8 compared to 8.4 a year ago. Completed, ready-to-occupy inventory stood at 114,000 homes in June, up 21.3% from a year ago. The median new home sale price edged down 4.9% in June to $401,800. This is down 2.9% compared to a year ago. Regionally, on a year-to-date basis, new home sales are down in all four regions, falling 25.6% in the Northeast, 8.5% in the Midwest, 1.6% in the South and 4% in the West.
Federal Court Upholds NY Gas Ban The federal court for the Northern District of New York on July 23 upheld New York State’s “gas ban” legislation. New York’s legislation is the first statewide law that restricts natural gas use in new buildings, effectively banning gas stoves and other fossil fuel appliances in most new construction starting in 2026. The plaintiff coalition, including NAHB, is deciding how to respond to the court’s request.
Applications Are Open for NAHB's Prestigious Awards Applications for NAHB’s Awards are now open. The award programs include: The Best in American Living™ Awards, sponsored by SMEG; the Associates of Excellence Awards; the Custom Home Builder of the Year Award; the Leading Suppliers Council Spark Award; the Professional Women in Building (PWB) Awards; the NAHB/Builders Mutual Safety Award for Excellence (SAFE) Awards; the Nationals℠ Awards, NAHB’s largest awards competition; and the Young Professional Awards. The deadline for entries is Oct. 6. What to Know about “No Tax on Overtime” The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) delivered a win for President Trump on his campaign promise regarding no taxes on overtime. Retroactive to the beginning of 2025, no tax on overtime establishes a new above-the-line tax deduction for qualified employees. This deduction is temporary, expiring after 2028. Eligible employees may deduct up to $12,500 in qualified overtime pay as a single filer or $25,000 as a joint filer. The deduction phases out for taxpayers with income exceeding $150,000 ($300,000 in the case of a joint return). The deduction only applies to wages paid in excess of the employee’s normal wage rate.
Duties on Lumber Rise Again The U.S. Commerce Department has announced it is nearly tripling its anti-dumping duties on Canadian lumber imports from 7.66% to 20.56% following its annual review of existing tariffs. The anti-dumping duties are in addition to current countervailing duties set at 6.74%, which would bring the total lumber duties above 27%. And the countervailing duty is expected to move higher soon, with the Commerce Department scheduled to announce its final administrative review of the countervailing order on Aug. 8.
Revisiting Nationwide Permits The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) has proposed reissuing and updating its Nationwide Permits (NWPs) for impacts to wetlands and streams, which are set to expire in March 2026. In response, NAHB submitted comments urging swift reauthorization and sensible reforms to support housing development. NAHB requested that the Corps prioritize finalization of the proposed rule to prevent a lapse in coverage.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law a budget bill with many pro-housing provisions, including a six-year pause on adopting or amending new home building codes. The provisions are meant to address the state’s housing affordability crisis, the worst in the U.S. The measure, AB 130, contains provisions that California home builders have been fighting for all year. It prevents the state of California from considering, approving, or adopting any changes to residential building codes until June 1, 2031, except in emergency situations or in the case of wildfire mitigation. Further, the bill prevents local municipalities from amending their code during the same period. The bill also places new restrictions on changes the state can make to building codes during the “Intervening Cycle,” an 18-month period after the publication of a code when amendments are added to the code before adoption. The intervening cycles have been successfully targeted for years to get onerous changes through, especially to the state’s Green Building Code.
Push for Type II Safety Helmets A study recently published by researchers at George Mason University and North Carolina State University found that education and exposure to Type II safety helmets could increase adoption, especially in smaller construction firms. Job site injury data show that many head injuries are being caused by falls and trauma to the side and back of the head, which traditional hard hats do not protect. In recent years, there has been a push to adopt the Type II helmet as the primary safety hat in construction. Its chin strap keeps the helmet on in falls, and the shape provides protection to the sides and back of the head.
California Tackles Housing Costs with Building Code Freeze
IBS Sustainability Scholarship The NAHB IBS Sustainability and Green Building Scholarship is available to young professionals and/or emerging green builders between the ages of 25 and 35 to attend the 2026 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando, Fla., held Feb. 17-19, 2026. Scholarship recipients will receive $1,800 for travel expenses and full registration to maximize their experience, with access to numerous networking events, education sessions and opportunities to see the latest products in the industry. Interested applicants can apply online. A resume and cover letter are also required. Applications are due Oct. 20.
Top Architectural Movements to Watch in 2025
Each month, the NAHB Design Bites series presents on a new trend. The June installment was all about the top 10 architectural movements to watch in 2025. Hosted by Erin Hurley, Business Development Director at KGA Studio Architects, this episode explores the year’s home design trends, including right-sizing, housing diversity and resilience. Hurley also discusses how thoughtful design drives buyer decisions in a changing housing market. Here are the top five architectural design trends this year: 1) Timeless and Traditional 2) Right-sizing and Personalizing; 3) Housing Diversity; 4) Universal Design; and 5) Resilient Design. Click here to read the full article with all the top 10 and an expanded summary of each. NAHB members can subscribe to Design Bites for free to access the replay and more monthly tips and information.